Moscow's 100 year ban on gay pride parades upheld by courts

Moscow city courts have upheld a ruling that in essence bans gay pride parades in that city for 100 years. The decision was rendered this week and already the Russian LGBT community is planning to fight it.

In response to Moscow's earlier ruling that they would ban gay pride parades for 100 years, Russian LGBT rights leader Nikolay Alekseyev had sought a permit to have pride parades in Moscow every year up until 2112. That was denied and now his appeal of that verdict has been lost.

LGBT to challenge in European Court of Human Rights

Alekseyev and other leaders of the LGBT community in Russia and elsewhere say the next challenge will be in the European Court of Human Rights. Russia has been a member of that court for over 12 years and cases originating in that country make up about 20 percent of the cases heard in the court. In the area of LGBT rights, the court recently ruled that same-sex marriages were not a "human right."

The Russian government claims rulings such as that of the Moscow city council are not anti-gay but are simply protecting "the majority's rights." President Vladimir Putin has not commented on the ban on pride parades or other controversial decisions by his government involving the LGBT community; yesterday, Andre Banks of the LGBT group All Out warned Putin that he will end up on the wrong side of history.